BlackBerry shares rise after Third Point discloses stake

BlackBerry shares rose as much as 6.8 percent on Tuesday after investor Daniel Loeb's Third Point hedge fund disclosed it had bought 10 million shares in the smart phone maker and technology company.

Third Point said late on Friday it now owns a 1.9 percent stake in BlackBerry, making it the No. 5 shareholder in the Waterloo, Ontario-based company, according to Thomson Reuters data.

Justin Solomon | CNBC

Dan Loeb at 2014 WEF in Davos, Switzerland.

Shares in BlackBerry were last up 5 percent to $9.43 on the New York Stock Exchange

The hedge fund on occasion has agitated for changes at the companies it has bought into. It bought a 7 percent stake in Sony last year and pushed the Japanese company to spin off its entertainment business. It has also agitated for changes at blue chips such as Dow Chemical and Yahoo.

CNBC's Scott Wapner reports that Dan Loeb's firm, which wants the chemicals giant to split up, will sign such an agreement to gain access to its records.

It was not immediately clear whether Third Point will seek changes at BlackBerry, which is attempting to reshape itself under the leadership of new Chief Executive John Chen.

Chen has been working quickly to implement a series of changes at the company, which is seeking to reinvent itself and focus less on its devices segment, and more on its services business.

A spokeswoman for Third Point declined to comment on the stake in BlackBerry. A spokesman for BlackBerry was not immediately available for comment.

BlackBerry also received a boost on Tuesday after FBR & Co raised its rating on shares of the company to "market perform" from "underperform," citing a refreshed management team that appears focused on forging a path to profit.